A binman has given a simple breakdown of what will happen if people ignore these rules
Andrew Nuttall U35 Lifestyle Writer
15:42, 09 Mar 2026
Easter eggs are going to be given out in a matter of weeks – leading to some important bin rules(Image: Getty)
With the Easter weekend coming up very soon, many will be enjoying chocolate eggs as part of the celebrations. However, making an easy-to-avoid mistake when throwing away the packaging could cause significant issues with your bins, a binman has warned.
This year, Easter falls on Sunday, April 5. Shops are already stocking chocolate treats in preparation, with households encouraged to understand what can and cannot be recycled, as this risks their bins being left full and ignored on collection day.
Ashley, known online as @Theno1.binman on TikTok, recently shared a video explaining precisely how people should handle their waste after finishing an Easter egg. For anyone enjoying one of these chocolate delights this spring, there are specific recycling guidelines to observe once you’ve finished with the packaging, reports the Mirror.
He said: “I have gone beyond, absolutely beyond, my bin duties to give you the correct bin-formation about Easter coming up.” The waste collector examined each component of a typical Easter egg package and where it should be placed.
Placing items in the wrong bins could result in your collection being classified as contaminated. Council staff will not risk compromising the rest of the lorry-load that has been collected on that route and will probably leave your full bin behind.
Content cannot be displayed without consentCardboard
Most Easter eggs arrive in brightly coloured cardboard packaging, and often additional cardboard is included inside to secure the egg and shield it from damage. Ashley said: “To start with, if you’re recycling an Easter egg box, it will go inside your paper and cardboard. If you just cardboard bin, like some councils apparently do, I’ve been told, the cardboard would go into that bin.”
Foil wrapping
Many Easter eggs aren’t left exposed and come wrapped in thin protective foil. This requires particular attention before disposal.
Ashley said: “This will go in your plastic bin. It’s a big enough bit of foil if it’s clean, and you’ve eaten your egg straightaway. If it’s dirty [like melted chocolate], then you have to put it in general waste.”
Easter egg foil needs to be put in the correct bin – or risk everything being left behind(Image: DBenitostock via Getty)
The packaging surrounding any chocolate bars included as additional treats with the Easter egg will frequently not be recyclable and must be placed in the general waste bin, Ashley noted. This is because they are manufactured from flexible, mixed, or “soft” plastics.
An easy way to test whether something foil is recyclable is to do the ‘scrunch test’. If the balled-up foil bounces back to its original shape, it’s not suitable for going in the recycling bin and must go in the general waste.
Leftover chocolate
Should you find yourself unable to manage any more chocolate, and you have some left over, it may end up being thrown away. Ashley said this would be placed in the “food waste bin” if you had one.
There’s a limit to how many hollow chocolate eggs people can – and should – eat at once, and those who find themselves with extras could be resourceful with their stash and transform it into something different. Rather than throwing perfectly edible food away, consider using the chocolate for baking or, if the eggs are unopened, think about donating to charities that will be grateful for any stock.